ASUU’s NEC voted to end STRIKE; sets to meet Jonathan for formality – Insider

The majority of member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who attended the two-day NEC Meeting of the union that ended yesterday in Kano voted to end the five-month-old strike.

A report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted a source as disclosing that 60 per cent of the members voted to have the strike called off while the remaining 40 per cent wanted it to continue.

The report said that ASUU, however, resolved to keep mute until it met with President Goodluck Jonathan, who is due home this night after attending a meeting of Nigeria's Honorary International Investors' Council in London.

The report quoted a reliable source as saying: "ASUU has decided to meet with President Jonathan before making whatever decision they took during the meeting public."

The NEC meeting considered a fresh proposal by President Jonathan aimed at ending the ASUU strike which has paralysed activities on Nigeria's university campuses since July 1. The meeting was billed to hold two weeks ago but was postponed following the death of a former ASUU President, Professor Festus Iyayi, in a road accident in Lokoja.

ASUU embarked on a national strike that has shut down all Nigeria's government owned universities, since July.

The academics wanted government to implement an agreement reached in 2009, that would improve funding for infrastructure in the universities and welfare of the teachers.